Adaptive bit-rate streaming (ABR) is an established technique used in streaming multimedia over computer networks and communication devices. Whereas previous video streaming technologies utilized streaming protocols such as RTP with RTSP, more recent adaptive streaming technologies are mostly based on HTTP and designed to work efficiently over large distributed HTTP networks such as the Internet.
ABR works by a player client detecting bandwidth and central processing unit capacity in real-time and adjusting the quality of a video stream in accordance with the detected information. For Live streams it requires the use of an encoder which can encode a single source video at multiple bit rates. The player client switches between streaming the different encodings depending on available resources. This results in less buffering, faster start times and a better experience for both high-end and low-end connections. ABR as been fundamental in supporting streaming content delivery.
One of the key drivers in reducing the time going from Live streams to video on demand (VOD) is the time consumed in making the clips and removing specific content like advertisements. Current content preparation processes are time consuming and require manual intervention to make the Live streams available for VOD replay. The time-to-view will further increase and you may miss an important moment for monetization. Unified Capture (discussed below) makes this possible.
The 1:1 targeting problem is widely understood as difficult to solve for all ABR streaming protocols simultaneously that are currently in use (HLS, HDS, ISS, DASH). Targeting in ABR streaming is to present individual viewers with personalized streams, as for instance advertisement combined with content, on a large scale in a unified way. As ABR streaming becomes more and more prevalent a solution for this problem becomes more and more valuable; for example, in advertisement, which is one of the use-cases for 1:1 targeting. A need can therefore be appreciated for targeting streams individually in a unified manner to enhance customer value.